Meet Patton, the Goldendoodle who hopes to become the next 'First Dog'

Patton is seen inside his Manalapan, Fla., home.
(Capehart Photography)

Patton, a 9-week-old Goldendoodle and offspring of American military hero service dogs, likes to swim outside his Florida home, eat scrambled eggs and carry around a giant rawhide bone.

He's also poised to become the next "First Dog" to run the grounds of the White House, according to his owner.

Lois Pope, a prominent philanthropist and long-time friend of Donald Trump, told FoxNews.com Wednesday she's confident her puppy will be picked to serve as a "companion and protector" to the president-elect's 10-year-old son, Barron.

Pope, an advocate for veterans and animal welfare, said she sent Trump a note about the golden retriever and poodle mix and then showed him a photo while at Trump's Mar-A-Lago home on Thanksgiving.

"I walked up and showed him a picture of the dog and he said, 'Show it to Barron, he’ll want him,'" Pope told FoxNews.com.

Pope then presented the pooch's photo to Trump's youngest child, who was busy playing a game on his iPhone, she said.

"He had the biggest smile," Pope said of Barron. "That smile said everything."

"It brought tears to my eyes," she said. "I thought this will give him the solace he needs. He has to make a dramatic transition to a new home and new friends in Washington. The dog will be a companion and a protector."

The Trump transition team has said Barron and his mother, Melania, will remain living at their New York City residence through the end of the school year before moving into the White House.

The Goldendoodle -- whose parents served in the U.S. military, according to Pope -- was named after World War II Gen. George Patton, whom Trump has praised as one of the greatest military leaders in American history.

Pope launched an extensive, nationwide search for the best dog to join the Trump family, which she said, to her knowledge, does not own any pets.

"He [Patton] comes from a lineage of hero dogs that served in Iraq and Afghanistan," she said. "And he has the perfect disposition."

U.S. presidents have a long history of keeping pets at the White House. Bo, a playful Portuguese water dog, joined the Obama family in 2009. Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, had several animals, including Barney, a Scottish terrier, Miss Beazley, a puppy of the same breed, and India "Willie" the cat.

President George Washington kept a parrot named Polly and Theodore Roosevelt owned an array of animals: dogs, cats, guinea pigs, snakes and a badger named Josiah.

While Patton hails from a military dog family, his owner said he enjoys the same activities as any other pooch. The puppy, who is currently 20 pounds and "getting bigger by the day," swims in Pope's pool at her Manalapan, Fla., home and prefers scrambled eggs for breakfast after his daily "puppy chow." Patton and his 12-inch rawhide bone are inseparable, she said.

"He’s unbelievably smart and a good swimmer," Pope said.

As of Wednesday, there was no official word from the Trump transition team about whether Patton will join the president-elect's family.

But Pope said she's optimistic the Trumps will adopt the puppy -- who could be heard barking in the background during a phone interview Wednesday morning.

"I'm confident they will take him for Barron," Pope said. "This will be the First Dog for the First Son."

"He is a puppy worthy of the presidency," she said.

Cristina Corbin is a Fox News reporter based in New York. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaCorbin.